Rhein-Niedrigwasser: Schiff steckt nicht mehr fest, aber Abfahrt verzögert sich

The freight ship stuck in the Düsseldorf port is finally making progress. On Monday, the 135-meter vessel loaded with Mercedes Sprinter vans ran aground on a sandbank during its departure from a harbor basin. It did not block traffic in the rest of the port. On Tuesday, it struggled to return to the harbor basin, where partly unloaded cargo was removed.

Mosolf, the logistics company that chartered the ship, said the vessel had become lighter and had less draft, allowing it to leave the port and travel to Rotterdam despite the low water levels. "We are now waiting for guidance from the water protection police and the harbor master on the allowable draft and cargo loading," said Mosolf manager Jürgen Richter.

On Wednesday, water levels may drop further, but are expected to rise again by Friday. "Hopefully, we can get going again." Removing the ship from the sandbank was difficult, as attempts to clear it using an anchor windlass and weight redistribution failed. The water protection police could not deploy a tugboat, fearing damage to the freight ship due to the low water levels.

A spokesperson for the Neuss-Düsseldorf ports said the captain likely underestimated the cargo weight. Mosolf manager Richter disagreed, stating the delay is due to the port not being properly dredged and the water being shallower than the Rhine. "The level should be the same, but it isn't - the harbor infrastructure isn't maintained enough."

Tugs should keep harbor basins clear, especially during low water phases, Richter added. The drought and lack of rainfall have caused the Rhine and other rivers to carry much less water than usual, leading to fewer freight ships sailing on the Rhine, many of which are lightly loaded. Ferry operations have also been suspended. The reduced ship traffic on the Rhine is affecting industries, raising the cost of supplying raw materials and parts.

Some Sprinter vans were unloaded from the ship before its planned departure on Monday. The vehicles were unloaded from the 190 transporters that could have carried 160, down to 110, according to Mosolf manager Richter. The cargo weight itself was not the main issue - with 160 transporters, 390 tons of payload were achieved, well below the ship's general payload limit of 3,500 tons.

The stuck freight ship was freed by another Dutch ship that happened to be in the Düsseldorf harbor at the same time, responding to a request from the ship captain. "Our ship was pulled out of the sandbank," Richter said. "Then it could return to the harbor basin and be partly unloaded." The logistics specialist is confident that the next attempt will succeed. "Once we are out of the port, everything will run smoothly."